Common Sense
by CrimsonDomi
Summary: What if Tom Marvolo Riddle had been a bit more intelligent, or suddenly grew a brain during some of his blunders? Here are some could-have-beens. Naturally, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR. This disclaimer is meant for the whole story, so I won't repeat it every chapter.**

* * *

Tom had thought, long and hard, had done research, and he had come to one conclusion.

Being a Dark Lord probably wouldn't give him that much power, if he didn' have a few other strings to pull on. It would probably be the best plan to use his other persona, Lord Voldemort, as an alias, and use the pureblood fanaticists while he ascended politically. It would be a dangerous game, Tom knew, but it had much better chances of success than being just a Dark Lord.

Of course, he did believe in pureblood supremacy, but it likely wouldn't give him any power, and if he had to chose between his own power and a cause, well, he was a Slytherin. Of course he would chose power. Especially if the cause belonged to those who had found it funny to tear up his homework in first year all the time. Tom could hold a grudge, and letting those who did that run into an open knife while at the same time playing the political game, could only do him good.

The... how should he name them? Death Eaters would start attacking just when he was ascending. Any plan of his would probably catch some of theirs, though he had to make sure to plan in a few failures, and their leader would prove untraceable and retract himself when he was Minister and his men caught. Then, a few bribes here and there in the Wizengamot, and the world would be at his feet.

There were a few issues, of course, but he still had quite a lot of time in school to spend on his planning.

* * *

Twenty years later, Minister Riddle, in the middle of his thirties, leaned back on his seat. The Death Eaters were all caught, their leader had "disappeared", and his own laws had begun to take effect. Of course, he had made a horcrux. It had been put into an enchanted fire- and waterproof container, spelt with the most powerful protection charms known to mankind - some of which Tom's Department of Mysteries had created. He'd thrown it into the Mariana Trench. He was pretty sure nothing could get to it there. He'd stopped theres, his research had shown that too many horcruxes might result in him losing all common sense, and he didn't want to risk that.

He was married - to a pureblood, of course - and quite grateful for it. His wife was beautiful, he had one child and another was on the way, and the noble line of Salazar Slytherin would continue.

He loved his life.


	2. Another Enemy

Wormtail had raised a vital point, Lord Voldemort knew.

Maybe using the Potter boy's blood wasn't that good an idea after all...

"Bring me another, then, Wormtail..."

* * *

A week later, Sturgis Podmore was dead, Lord Voldemort resurrected, and none the wiser. He began moving in secret, knowing that no one else knew of his rise.

Two years later, he managed to get a hold of Dumbledore, Snape and Potter, they lost in a desperate last stand, and Lord Voldemort ruled the Wizarding World henceforth.


	3. Another Way to Deal with Mudbloods

Tom Riddle clasped his hands together.

Yes, he was Slytherin, yes, he was for pureblood supremacy, but most of what he read did show that Muggleborns could be rather powerful, and Muggle blood definitely didn't seem to be that detracting, if he was any proof. What his ancestor, the noble Salazar Slytherin, most feared, was probabky the power Muggles undeniably could have, in great numbers, and in their neverending creativity.

He changed a few plans for his new regime: It wouldn't do to kill all Muggleborns. There were too many of them, anyway, and there weren't enough purebloods to have enough to rule over.

That left one rather nice option: Leave the Muggleborns alive, with most of them as second-class citizens, except for the most powerful of the bunch, who would gain equal rights to purebloods. This option for ascension would quiet the Mudbloods, their best and their brightest wouldn't show any interest in rioting, and it would make good slogans "Only those who contribute to society shall rule society", et cetera, et cetera.

Yes, perfect. He'd have to let a few powerful Mudbloods into his Inner Circle, of course, but there wasn't any shortage of them.


	4. Harry Horcrux

Lord Voldemort stopped. He had just turned into a spirit, after trying to kill the boy, and he sensed something... strange.

He closed in, to the boy, barely a toddler, who yet had defeated him.

And he drew his - imaginary - breath. A horcrux. The boy who could defeat him - a horcrux. As long as the boy lived, he lived.

Well, that called for changed plans, of course. He wouldn't try and kill his horcrux, would he? The light would make sure the boy would survive, and then, he'd make sure he'd get his claws into him, or maybe give him just enough of a head injury that he stayed a vegetable forever.

As long as the boy lived, he lived.

After this gigantic discovery, Lord Voldemort fled to a safe place to spend the next few years.

* * *

When he did come back, he found that the boy was indeed alive. He used his blood in the ritual, and then, he started with the Cruciatus. He made sure not to kill him, just destroy his mind.

Harry James Potter was admitted into St. Mungo's a few days later, having lost his mind. He was put into the bed next to Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Success.


	5. Another Plot

Lord Voldemort had thought long and hard.

His original plan to capture the Potter boy was indeed a little ridiculous.

He changed the instructions he gave to his servant:

"Make sure you get the boy alone sometime, stun him, and portkey him to me. Then, come back and run, leave the real Moody as a decoy, still under the Imperius, just in case your position hasn't been compromised. Make sure you are informed whether he is captured or not."

* * *

A few weeks later, Harry Potter went to talk to MadEye Moody in his office.

Ten minutes and a cup of coffee later, an unconscious Harry Potter was used in the Resurrection of Lord Voldemort.

When Barty came, Lord Voldemort got the information. Moody hadn't been discovered, not yet. He killed Harry, and sent out a ransom note, from another "Dark Lord", choosing the name "Amgine".

"I, Lord Amgine, am holding Harrold James Potter captive. To free him, I want Albus Dumbledore to present himself at twelve o'clock tomorrow in a place that he will be told by then."

He waited for the note to arrive - his spy Moody with a two-way mirror was useful for that - then, he sent an owl from just in front of the school gates to Dumbledore. He saw it flying straight into Hogwarts before he disapparated, positioning himself on a wall close to the position he knew Dumbledore would come.

When the man appeared with a 'pop', Lord Voldemort fired a single killing curse when his back was turned.

It hit.

With both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore dead and his return unknown, Voldemort assembled his followers and quickly overthrew the Ministry.


	6. Stone

Voldemort didn't like being on the backside of Quirrell's head too much.

With the boy here, and the Stone in his pocket, Voldemort hit a sudden realization: Trying to kill the boy the first time hadn't worked, so maybe it wasn't that good an idea to fire another Killing Curse at him. It just might rebound again.

Therefore, he told Quirrell:

"Stun him!"

The boy, not quite knowing what that meant, hesitated one moment too long. When he was unconscious, Voldemort got Quirrell to take the Stone out of his pocket. Then, as he was pretty sure a Killing Curse wouldn't work, he cast a Severing Charm at his throat.

End of the Potter problem.

Then, Quirrellmort made a run for it.

* * *

Immortal, and quite happy to be so, Lord Voldemort came to life much earlier than the "forces of good" had thought. With their champion dead, they were rather depressed, and Lord Voldemort did not have a single difficulty overcoming them.


	7. Changed Orders

Lord Voldemort twirled his wand, and thought of the Potter brat.

Now that Dumbledore was dead, he was his only obstacle to victory.

Of course, in the past, Voldemort had insisted on being the one to kill the boy.

He now realized how foolish that had been. He wouldn't admit it to his followers, naturally, but he would change his orders.

"If the Potter boy or any of his companions is spotted, kill him on sight."

* * *

When Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley ran into a band of snatchers and Bellatrix Lestrange saw them, she killed the boy immediately, no questions asked.

Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were then held captive until Lord Voldemort arrived. Harry Potter's death seemed merciful, compared to theirs.


	8. Capturing Prophecies

Lord Voldemort chuckled slightly at the stupidity of his first plan.

Why on Earth should he lure the boy into the Department of Mysteries to get him the prophecy, when he could just go himself?

A little bit of Polyjuice Potion, and Lord Voldemort stood in the Hall of Prophecies. He took the prophecy with him, listened to it, and put it back on there the next morning.

Now that he had the advantage of knowing the prophecy, he decided to still lure the boy there, with orders to kill him on sight. _Before_ his Death Eaters showed themselves, they should kill him. No taunting. He wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Which his Death Eaters, morons that they were, somehow barely managed.


	9. Muggles' Usefullness

When Tom was young, he noticed the inherent capacity for destruction most Muggle weapons seemed to have.

Lord Voldemort decided to use them.

Bombing Diagon Alley, and then threatening to bomb Hogwarts, led to quick results.

When Tom Riddle promised he could stop this Lord Voldemort and his followers, his career skyrocketed. Especially because he achieved actual results, using more Muggle technology.

The Ministry lay at his feet, the Death Eaters were captured pathetically easily under his command, and Tom Riddle couldn't help but think that his life couldn't be more perfect.

Maybe Muggles were useful for something after all.


	10. Taboo

Lord Voldemort had just discovered the spell that enabled him to make his name taboo.

Of course, it was already taboo in a way, as normally, people wouldn't use it out of fear, but that was just what made the actual taboo attractive.

If he used this spell, he could listen in to any conversation his name was used in. As the main person to use his name was also the main person to plot against him, this would be highly useful. Any plot against him that included Dumbledore would reach his ears immediately.

* * *

Ten weeks later, Lorad Voldemort managed to set up an ambush and kill Albus Dumbledore, after he spoke of visiting his brother Aberforth for tea right after discussing plans for the Order of the Flaming Chicken. After his death, resistance slowly broke down to a minimum.


End file.
